Quick look – Held Alcatar Crash Helmet

It’s simply too obvious to make a remark about German efficiency. We’re at the point now where a helmet – no, more or less anything manufactured by the Germans – could be made from recycled crisp packets and chewing gum and people would trot out the old line about German efficiency.

Having said that, Held do show a pretty tasty line in motorsport equipment across their remarkable 318-page catalogue, though their naming conventions could be a little smoother. Scard is a rock-hard name for a helmet, and Masuda sounds suitably mysterious, but whoever came up with ‘Travel-Champ’ needs to stop using Google Translate quite so much.

While ‘Held Alcatar’ does sound like a something Severus Snape might scream at Harry Potter, it’s actually a dual-sport helmet. A nice looking and reasonably priced one at that. It’s available in either plain black or white/red graphics (as shown above), and has a wide-face aperture and a peak giving it a motor-crossy look; a peak which many people find a pain but many others find makes them look like a sinister movie character coolly disappearing off into the distance on a dirt bike with the heist gang’s takings.

Why do those characters always turn out to be women by the way?

But I digress. The helmet’s peak, though, does tend to catch the wind quite a bit – so if you’re inclined to ride around windy parts a lot where you get quite a few cross winds – you might find the peak a bit of a pain. The visor is a little stiff which could impact speed of opening but it does mean it stays where you want it – which in our book is the priority.

The Alcatar has got a very useful internal drop down sun visor – again, absolutely key to looking sinister – but with a secondary benefit that it keeps the sun out without the need for shades. The aerodynamics are well designed, with little noise detected at lower speeds. Its ventilation is average though, and the inner lining is a little rougher than some similar helmets – though at this price point, some shortcomings are to be expected I guess.

Obviously, it’s a sturdy piece of kit given the predictably German efficiency – oh damn it – but although it meets the usual ECE 22.05 safety standards (though not SHARP tested), it does feel a little lightweight. And even though it’s a German brand, the helmet’s actually made in China. Nevertheless it’s a very competently made piece of head gear, especially for those looking to try a dual-sports helmet for the first time and who doesn’t want to scare the bank manager.

The Alcatar’s plain variant is available at a smidge under £130 at the time of writing, with a tenner more for the graphic version.

If you’re looking for a new crash helmet or simply want to join in the tributes to the most successful TT racer ever with a truly exclusive and limited edition helmet, then you won’t go far wrong with a Joey 85.

Looking to buy a crash helmet?

If you’re looking to buy a helmet (or just want to see some prices for helmets or other gear) – please check out the prices by clicking the link to the page at Sportsbikeshop below. And if you buy from there, we get a small sum from the sale (thanks lots!) and please let us know how you get on with the purchase so we can share with other readers.